Posted
by
Zonkon Friday January 12, 2007 @02:49PM
from the should-have-had-an-open-beta-first dept.

Penguinshit writes to mention a Reuters article about some trouble the U.S. is having communicating with a spy satellite. The sensor package was launched last year by the U.S. National Reconnaissance Office, and is worth hundreds of millions of dollars. It has apparently hung in a low orbit for months now, and efforts to communicate with it have been unsuccessful. From the article: "The official said the problems were substantial and involved multiple systems, adding that U.S. officials were working to reestablish contact with the satellite because of the importance of the new technology it was meant to test and demonstrate. The other source said the satellite had been described to him as 'a comprehensive failure.' There was no suggestion by either of the sources that the satellite had been purposely damaged as part of a terrorist attack. Another government official said he had no information about any attacks on U.S. satellites."

An anonymous reader writes to mention a Reuters article about some trouble the U.S. is having communicating with a spy satellite.
>The sensor package was launched last year by the U.S. National Reconnaissance Office

Well, I doubt if NRO launches anything-- they probably sign a check to Martin-Marietta,
who coordinates things and rents a pad at Vandenberg.

>and is worth hundreds of millions of dollars.

Well, it probably cost hundreds of millions of $. What it's worth, especially in the light of it being unusable, is debatable. Back when CMOS sensor arrays were custom made for $70,000 each the technology was gee-whizzy. Nowdays your basic disposable camera isnt that far behind what's in the current sats.

>It has apparently hung in a low orbit for months now.

"Hung"? as in hanging from something? Or hung as in "windows hung on me"?

>and efforts to communicate with it have been unsuccessful.
The official said the problems were substantial and involved multiple systems.

So it probably had several radio links and none of them seem to be working. That's bad.
There's usually at least one last-ditch fail-safe really simple telemetry and command link that doesnt depend on the main power source or antenna aiming. If they can't talk to that thingy, things are mighty grim.

>adding that U.S. officials

"Officials"? More likely a bunch of hairy and now sweaty peons.

>Were working to reestablish contact with the satellite because of the importance of the new technology it was meant to test and demonstrate.

So they wouldnt bother if it had old technology but cost $200 million?

>The other source said the satellite had been described to him as 'a comprehensive failure.'

heh the very idea that terrorists could possibly do something to a satellite after launch makes me laugh. i mean did it go like this?

Osama - "OK Zawawhatshisname, show me this big plan you have for taking out the satellites of the great satan?"ZAWA - "ok, basically we strap a bomb to young Uday here..."Osama - "ok, not bad so far, pretty standard, then what?"Zawa - "then we have this big slingshot and...."Osama - "whoa whoa waitasec.... are you serious??"Zawa - "yeh, well he gets in then we tie the camels to the basket and..."Osama - "what somebody cracks the whip and pulls a string c'mon man!! Is this what I pay you for?!?!"Zawa - "well, I..."Osama - "You're fired..."Zawa - "but..."Osama - "dude, just...leave...ok?!"

nah...my spidey sense tell me it was a launch damage f-up or micrometeorite, something normal like that. maybe even a bug, a software glitch like the poor MGS or polar lander (inches, meters, what being difference?!?!? haha!!)

I just wanted to let everyone know that my left butt cheek is fine. Any damage that it may have sustained is not related to any terrorist attack or plot. We must be ever vigilant though, less the terrorist forces do manage to injure my left butt cheek.

This has been a public service reminder. Remember, be afraid of terrorist, you need us, we keep you safe, you have nothing to fear from an oppressive government unless you are an enemy of the government.